motivation

Homemade Protein Energy Balls

March 15, 2020Leave a comment

Makes 20

Protein bars are everywhere these days, but have you ever heard of protein energy balls? And did you know that you can make them at home? They’re quick, easy, and if you make enough you can eat them during the week as healthy snacks or even share them with family and friends! Everyone needs protein in their lives to help build and repair muscles, bones, and even skin, so reach for some tasty sources during the day to support a healthy lifestyle 😉

Don’t be intimidated by the ingredients we’ve used in our recipe – with the exception of the protein powder, oats, and oil, you can replace everything else with things that you might like. Not a fan of nut butters? Try using dates instead – they’re sticky too so will help keep everything together. Maybe you can’t stand chia seeds – that’s fine! Think of other nuts and seeds you might like instead, like flax seeds, almonds, or pistachios.

This recipe is ready for you to make it your own, so get to it and let us know how you did in the comments 😊

Ingredients:

2 scoops protein powder
1 cup quick oats
¾ cup natural nut butter (such as peanut butter or almond butter)
3 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp honey
Optional: coconut flakes*

Instructions:
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Pay attention to consistency – if it’s too sticky, add more oats or protein powder to help stabilize. If it’s not sticky enough to form into balls, add more nut butter.
2. Once you are happy with how the mixture feels form it into balls and place them in the fridge for an hour.
3. Happily serve 🙂.

*If you decide to add coconut flakes, coat a baking sheet with about 1 cup of flakes and use your hands to lightly roll protein balls on top until they are evenly covered.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
165 kcal / 7g protein / 9g carbs (with 3.5g of fibre) / 9g healthy fats

– Huda Amareh, MAHN, RD

Spinach Banana Smoothie

March 14, 2020Leave a comment

Serves 2

I’m going to be honest – this is a strange one. I, for one, am not accustomed to adding peanut butter to drinks (I kind of used to side eye those who did, actually) but after becoming a Registered Dietitian and embracing all things food I thought I’d give it a try.

Boy was I wrong! This smoothie is tasty, creamy, and nutritious all rolled up into one. The spinach gives you lots of iron and vitamin A (good for your eyes and skin!) and the banana provides you with potassium (helps your bones and kidneys!) and vitamin B6 (which boosts your immune system). On top of that, spinach and banana are good sources of fibre and therefore help keep you regular.

The peanut butter is of course the icing on the cake: if the sweetness from the banana didn’t convince you to try this, the peanut butter will make you do a double take and question whether this could really be a part of a healthy lifestyle 😉. Before you run off though, know that the spinach has (shockingly) NO taste in this smoothie 🤯. If this drink wasn’t green I honestly wouldn’t have even known there was spinach in there. So give it a go this week and let us know what you think!

Ingredients:

2 handfuls of spinach
2 bananas
2 tbsp natural and smooth peanut butter
1 cup cow’s milk or unsweetened almond milk
Optional add-on: 1 scoop of protein powder

Instructions:
1. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Happily serve!

Nutritional Information (per serving):
220 kcal / 7g protein / 32g carbs (with 5g of fibre) / 8g healthy fats

– Huda Amareh, MAHN, RD 😊

Fun Chicken Fajitas

March 13, 2020March 13, 2020Leave a comment

Serves 8

Want a fun dish to try this week? Chicken fajitas can be a wonderful part of a balanced diet! This meal provides a large portion of spiced chicken full of protein and great vegetables like onions, tomatoes, and bell peppers to keep anyone satisfied 😉. Don’t feel shy to switch it up, too – if you’re not the biggest fan of the veggies we’ve chosen, consider others instead. Almost all vegetables are a good source of vitamins, minerals, and fibre, so you can’t go wrong with mixing it up a bit 🕺🏽. Brown rice and its wonderful whole grain goodness is another great addition too. Let us know what you’ve decided to add to your dish in the comments!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs (750g) boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced thinly
5 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp lime juice
1 onion, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cumin powder
8 tortillas or pitas

Instructions:
1. Combine 4 tbsp of the oil, juice, garlic paste, and spices in a bowl and stir. Add chicken breast slices and coat meat with the marinade. Cover and place in fridge for an hour.
2. Once chicken has marinated, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil on medium heat in a large pan. Cook chicken for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through to make sure it is cooked well on both sides.
3. Add onion, tomato, and bell pepper to chicken. Continue to cook for 5-7 minutes until vegetables have softened.
4. Take off heat and happily serve over tortillas or pitas ☺ Consider adding some condiments as well to enhance the flavour, as well as brown rice to provide more healthy carbs to this fantastic meal.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
309 kcal / 27g protein / 15g carbs (with 2g of fibre) / 13g healthy fat

Photo credit: Ready Set Eat